Deborah Hutton’s guru Andrew Marsh has choking charge withdrawn

Assault charges levelled at Deborah Hutton’s meditation guru boyfriend Andrew Marsh have been dropped. Here’s why.

The boyfriend of television personality Deborah Hutton has been cleared of allegedly choking a person during an alleged home invasion after prosecutors dropped the charge this week.

Meditation guru Andrew Peter Marsh also had two counts of common assault dismissed on mental health grounds in the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.

The development occ­urred as his criminal case came to an end, closing the chapter on a 14- month case where Marsh spent five weeks behind bars after he was ­refused bail.

In that time, the 51-year-old was assaulted by another inmate at Bathurst Correctional Centre, the court heard.

Meditation guru Andrew Marsh’s court matters have been resolved. Picture: Instagram

Marsh had been accused of assaulting two people at the Bondi home of his ex-wife on December 14, 2020.

Police charged Marsh with choking a person and two counts of common assault after he was accused of entering a Bondi property on ­December 14, 2020.

In court on Thursday, Magistrate Michael Barko said the two counts of common assault could be dealt with under the state’s mental health legislation. This came after Marsh’s lawyer Paul McGirr tendered a medical report from Dr Olav Nielssen, who concluded that the 51-year-old had been suffering major depression at the time of the incident.

The court also heard that Marsh had been receiving ­intense counselling sessions from psychiatric nurse Jan Earl, who also treated former NRL star Sam Burgess during his recent troubles.

Marsh was originally acc­used of yanking one of the ­alleged victims from a cupboard and choking one of the victims during a tussle over a mobile phone.

However, the court heard that prosecutors agreed to drop the charge relating to the alleged choking while the other charges were dismissed on mental health grounds.

Deborah Hutton confirmed she is in a relationship with Marsh. Picture: Instagram

Mr McGirr had previously argued in the case that police photos showing injuries from the alleged choking incident were “vertical lines” on the ­alleged victim’s chest that were more consistent with “a tussle over a phone rather than the choking of a larynx”.

The court heard Marsh’s phone was damaged and that he went to the house to ­recover his passwords, for which he needed one of the alleged victim’s phones.

The alleged tussle occ­urred when the person did not consent to Marsh accessing their phone.

Hutton told Stellar magazine Marsh ”anchored” her. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Outside court, Mr McGirr said: “There is a vast gulf ­between the evidence the court accepted today and the allegations that were originally levelled at my client.

“The allegations were bad enough to see Mr Marsh ­refused bail for five weeks in Bathurst Jail where he was ­assaulted, and it is unfortunate that he cannot get that time back.”

Hutton initially denied they were in a relationship, after he told the court he was living at her address, saying: “Contrary to various media reports, Andrew Marsh is not living with me. I consider him a very dear friend …”

However, last year she confirmed to our Stellar Magazine they are a couple.

The media personality said the romance has given her “peacefulness and joy” and she now feels “anchored”.

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